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َ A tragic death punishes a regime that oppressed irrepressible Persian women
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
By Sheda Vasseghi
Neda's murder, a symbol of Iranian people's struggle against a corrupt and defunct government, is indeed an irony.
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A screen grab from a June 21, 2009 video showing Iranian men trying to help a wounded woman named Neda after getting shot in the chest during a protest in Tehran on June 20, 2009.
AFP/YouTube
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Contrary to ancient Persian history and 20th century social advancements of the Pahlavi regime, women were one of the first groups attacked and suppressed by the Islamic Republic. For example: the 1926 Freedom of Dress was overturned;
women are not eligible to run for presidency;
the 1967 Family Protection Law was overturned;
marital age was reduced from 18 to 9;
they virtually have no rights if divorced and domestic abuse is not grounds for divorce;
a woman's testimony is worth half of a man's and fines paid for a women's murder is half of what is awarded for a male victim;
women cannot work, attend school, or travel without a male relative's permission;
women inherit half as much as men;
Article 115 of Penal Laws allows stoning;
Article 116 discusses how big the stones should be;
women in prisons are considered to have committed crimes against God and thus at the guards' disposal who often rape and torture them;
and they are not allowed to attend public sports events.
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